Music Hello, my name is Carrie Kaufman. I'm the Director of Tourism at Experience Columbus. Today I'd like to provide you with a brief overview about culinary tourism. Much of the information contained in this presentation is provided by the International Culinary Tourism Association, which is a non-profit organization.
of which Ohio recently formed a chapter, or more accurately, a work group. During the next five minutes, we will answer the following questions. What is culinary tourism?
Why is culinary tourism important? Who are culinary tourists? And how do I get started developing culinary tourism for my community or business?
Let's begin by defining culinary tourism. In its broadest sense, it is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences. The phrase unique and memorable is key to understanding culinary tourism.
It's not only about the restaurants that have earned five stars or high-end wineries. In fact, it includes the local pastry shop and the interesting bar that serves a locally brewed beer. Culinary tourism is not pretentious or exclusive, and you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great dining experience. Culinary tourism does focus on the search for and enjoyment of prepared foods, more so than raw ingredients.
Therein lies the distinction between culinary tourism and agritourism. Culinary tourism is not agritourism. However, in a state like Ohio, where agriculture is a primary industry, and we are in an envied position to link the two together, culinary tourism, in fact, is a subset of cultural tourism, as cuisine is an expression of the local culture. And agriculture is certainly an expression of Ohio's local culture.
I'd be remiss if I didn't share with you where the term culinary tourism originated, particularly because she is an Ohioan. It was first coined in 1998 by Lucy Long, a professor at Bowling Green State University, to express the idea of experiencing other cultures through food. Why is culinary tourism important? According to the International Culinary Tourism Association, 27 million leisure travelers have participated in culinary-related travel in the last three years in the United States. They spent approximately $51 billion annually on travel-related expenses, including $12 billion on culinary activities.
How about in Ohio? Well, in 2008 in Ohio, $6.9 billion was spent on food and beverage, according to Longwoods International. This represents 25% of total visitor spending.
of 25.6 billion dollars here in the state of Ohio. If the previous statistics don't convince you, here are several other compelling reasons why culinary tourism is important. Almost 100 percent of visitors dine out when traveling. Each dining experience is an opportunity to learn more about the local food and people of that destination. Dining is consistently one of the top three favorite activities of visitors and no explanation needed there.
Local cuisine is an important consideration when choosing a destination to visit. Enjoying food and drink touches all five human senses. Think about it. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
Which leads to the last reason. Cuisine is very experiential. It satisfies consumers'demands for hands-on and interactive experiences. And for the Ohio tourism industry, culinary tourism is a new way for us to position our destination and create a competitive advantage. Food is an attraction just like a museum and it has the power to attract visitors to a destination.
Who are culinary tourists? They are not any particular age, sex, or ethnicity and there's a high correlation between visitors who are interested in food and wine and those that are interested in museums, shows, shopping, music, festivals, and outdoor recreation. A culinary tourist can be a visitor who has traveled specifically to dine at your establishment, but they can also be a business traveler who decides to try the local fare of your community.
Culinary tourists look for unique and memorable dining experiences and are highly motivated to do so, particularly in light of today's global food trends that include the desire to be healthy and sustainable. These travelers will take the time to research and plan their trips using both print and online materials. They look for online culinary forums to hear about places that other culinary tourists like themselves have visited.
Getting started today is a whole lot easier than it was just five years ago. There are many resources available to you. The first place I would start would be with the International Culinary Tourism Association. Next, the Ohio Tourism Toolbox, which launched in 2009. It contains research on culinary tourism, best practices from one of your peers in the Ohio tourism industry.
It links to other resources across the country, food blogs and articles on culinary tourism. I would strongly encourage you to check it out at ohiotourism.osu.edu. Next, you'll need to conduct a culinary inventory of your destination or your business to get your arms around the product that you have to offer to culinary tourists.
Think about culinary experiences that fall into all of these categories. Wineries, microbreweries, retail, cooking classes, lodging, events, manufacturers, restaurants, attractions. and of course agritourism related.
After you've built your alliances and conducted an inventory, you'll have the knowledge you need to establish a unique and memorable and authentic culinary experience at your destination or place of business. Now all that's left to do is promote, promote, promote. I would encourage you to get in touch with your local Convention and Visitors Bureau, contact the International Culinary Tourism Association, and also take a look at the Ohio tourism toolbox.
to gain additional information. More information will be found on the Ohio Tourism Toolbox soon to share with you information on the Ohio Culinary chapter or work group. That concludes this presentation on culinary tourism. I hope you've heard a few bits of information that will help you get started developing or promoting culinary tourism to your destination or business.
Please use the above contact information to contact myself, Carrie Kaufman, Julie Fox, or Julie Moose at any time. Thank you.